Three Sisters
by Kati Freedman
Summary: A story about the triplets, because people keep asking for it!
1. Chapter 1

"Rachel! I said now!" Charlotte King-Freeman calls up the stairs.

She turns back to the kitchen, shaking her head and going back to finish getting three lunches together.

"That girl wouldn't be on time with a watch fused to her wrist," Charlotte mutters.

"Who wears a watch these days?" Georgia pipes up, raising her eyebrow at her mother.

It reminds Charlotte so much of herself that she has to chuckle.

"My bad," she replies, glancing at her daughter. "For a second there I was stuck back in the Stone Age."

"That's hyperbolic," Caroline says, not looking up from her book.

Georgia rolls her eyes, getting up from the table to put her plate in the sink.

"Whatever, Madam Dictionary," she says to her sister. "Not all of us have the vocabulary of a genius."

"Technically we're all considered to be people with above-average intelligence," Caroline replies, actually looking up. "Anyone with an IQ over 130 is."

"Ha!" Georgia shouts, raising a fist in the air. "A feat to share with that silly fourth-grade teacher of ours!"

"Sugar, you can keep your IQ of 141 and still have your baking-soda-and-vinegar-down-a-school-toilet incident being a lapse in judgment," Charlotte replies, giving her daughter a Look.

"I was curious!" Georgia shoots back.

Charlotte chuckles, shaking her head as she finishes packing the lunches.

"Rachel!" Charlotte calls again, exasperated.

"I'm coming!" comes an annoyed reply. "God, Mom, relax a minute."

Charlotte looks up as her third daughter enters the kitchen.

Though her three girls are triplets, they're dizygotic, with Georgia being the non-identical triplet. Because of this, and because she came rather early, she's always been a bit smaller than Caroline and Rachel. Regardless, all three girls have their mother's blue-green eyes, large and framed by thick lashes. The girls also inherited their mother's blonde hair.

Yet as Charlotte looks up, she sees that Rachel's blonde locks have been replaced by dark, chocolatey brown tresses.

Charlotte stares in shock, while Georgia laughs loudly and Caroline merely looks over with mild curiosity.

"Rachel Amelia King-Freedman, what in god's name have you done to your hair?" Charlotte demands, in a dangerously calm voice.

"It's so weird," Rachel replies, heading to the fridge with a carefree saunter. "I woke up and bam! Dark hair. Medical phenomenon."

Caroline rolls her eyes at this ridiculous thought while Georgia tilts her head.

"Oh come on, Rach," she says. "That's the best you could come up with?"

Rachel shrugs, unbothered. "It was either that or blame on one of _you _two."

"And risk receiving the wrath of Charlotte King?" Georgia replies. "Fat freaking chance."

Charlotte is still ominously quiet, and the girls seem to realize this and turn to look at her all together.

"What were you thinkin'?" Charlotte demands, her voice now rising slightly.

"I was _thinking_," Rachel begins, stashing one of the lunches in her school bag. "That it might be nice to be my own person for once."

Charlotte exhales, tilting her head. "Rachel, you _are _your own person. Regardless of your hair colour."

"Tell that to everyone at Chadwick, who refers to me as 'that triplet girl'," Rachel replies dryly.

"Who cares?" Georgia frowns, grabbing a lunch. "Half of those morons can't even spell, and they're all going to be leathery, plastic, dance moms, while the three of us go off to Ivy League schools and get wicked jobs."

She passes by her mother and pecks her on the cheek. "Bye Mama," she grins.

"Bye baby," Charlotte replies, running a hand over Georgia's silky blonde hair as she walks away.

Rachel starts to pass her, too, but Charlotte reaches out and stops her.

"Did asking permission to alter your appearance pop into your head at all during your chemically treated hair styling?"

Rachel chews the inside of her lip, appearing to be thinking hard. "Umm," she begins, and her mother gives her a Look. "Maybe for about, five seconds. But then I decided that I'm a teenager now, and that means I'm more grown up than I was last year, and I should be allowed to do as I wish with my own body."

Charlotte's eyebrow raises and Rachel knows she's toeing a line.

"I don't mean I'm going to go and get tattoos and 45 piercings, Mom," Rachel replies with an exhale. "I just mean, this is me. You always tell us to be ourselves and, well…"

She shrugs, gesturing to her body.

"This is Rachel."

"We are not done talking about this," Charlotte replies sternly, but knows she can't exactly be furious.

"Fine," Rachel rolls her eyes, starting to walk away.

Charlotte pulls her back and holds Rachel's face in her palms, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"You _always _kiss your mama goodbye," Charlotte reminds her.

Rachel kind of nods and tugs away, heading for the door.

Charlotte sighs, watching the door close.

"I carried y'all in my belly for nine months and yet not one of you is much like the other," she turns to look at Caroline. "What are the chances, huh?"

"I don't think there's a statistic for that," Caroline replies, scrunching up her nose a bit, the way she does when she's scared she has the wrong answer.

Charlotte laughs softly, pulling Caroline into her arms.

"I love you, you know that?" she murmurs into Caroline's hair.

Of the three of them, she has kept her hair the longest, growing it out to the middle of her back.

"Of course I do," Caroline replies.

Charlotte releases her and Caroline takes the last lunch from the island.

"Don't forget, all three of you have appointments with your auntie this afternoon," Charlotte reminds her.

"Trust me," Caroline says, shrugging into her backpack and heading for the door. "If one of us forgets, one of the others always remembers."

* * *

Charlotte walks into St. Ambrose an hour later, feeling like she's already had a full day. The girls can be a lot of work sometimes.

She's nearing her office when a pair of arms wrap around her from behind.

"Morning, beautiful," her husband, Cooper, murmurs into her hair.

"Morning yourself," Charlotte replies with a small grin. "How was on-call?"

"Exhausting," Cooper replies, falling into step with his wife. "Three car accidents, one skateboarding-at-midnight gone wrong, and a surprising two cases of projectile vomiting."

"Eugh," Charlotte makes a face, as they round the corner to her office.

As chief of staff, she was given the best office in the place: large, spacious, and with a wall of windows facing the courtyard.

"How are the King-Freedmans this morning?" Cooper asks, falling onto the couch in Charlotte's office.

"Ah," Charlotte smiles, hanging up her jacket. "You'll see."

"What does that mean?" Cooper asks, dreading the answer.

His girls mean the world to him, but he knows them well enough to know that they excel at mischief. Especially Rachel and Georgia.

"Nothing life-threatening," Charlotte says, and Cooper noticeably relaxes. "But definitely…mad-Daddy threatening."

Cooper lets his face drop into his hands.

"Who would have thought the one who gave us the most worry, the one who almost _died _at birth, the one who is the smallest of the three," his voice rises with each point. "Would be the one to give me the most heart attacks?"

"Actually, our little thrill-seeker is innocent this time," Charlotte replies, logging on to her computer.

"Rachel?" Cooper frowns.

"Not even going to suspect Carri? Charlotte frowns.

Cooper gives her a look and Charlotte picks up what he's insinuating and shrugs before she nods. "Yeah, alright."

"So what did she do?" Cooper asks again.

Charlotte sees her schedule and then turns to smile at her husband.

She gets up from her desk, slips on her lab coat, and walks over to him. Resting her hands on his knees, she bends down until she's an inch from his face.

"I think I'll let you wait and see," she says softly, and presses a kiss onto his lips.

"What?" Cooper groans, letting his head fall back against the couch.

"This afternoon," Charlotte reminds him as she heads for the door. "Their checkups with you and Addison."

Cooper sighs, feeling the effects of his 12-hour shift.

Exhausted, he moves to lie down on the couch and wonders what his beautiful Rachel has done this time.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you serious? Mom's going to kill you!" Georgia stares wide-eyed at her sister.

"Not if you don't tell her!" Rachel shoots back. "Besides, she's busy enough about my hair."

"Well, she had no idea that I knew," Georgia grins mischievously.

"Congratulations," Rachel rolls her eyes, stashing her math test in her bag. "You're a fabulous liar and I'm the first Freedman, or King - or King-Freedman! - to get a B minus on a test. _Ever!_"

Georgia reaches out and squeezes her sister's hand. "Hey, come on. Don't freak out."

"Need I remind you who our mother is?" Rachel replies, brow raised.

"Kind of hard to forget," Georgia retorts. "I see her whenever I look in the mirror, or at you guys."

Even though Caroline isn't there, the sisters always refer to each other as though they were.

"Yeah, well," Rachel sighs, leaving the bathroom stall and approaching the mirror, examining her dark hair. "Now you have one less Charlotte to worry about."

"You can't change your eyeballs, meat head," Georgia smiles, looking at her own reflection.

"Hey, don't forget," Rachel suddenly remembers. "Yom Kippur starts on Friday night."

Georgia makes a face, looking at Rachel tiredly. "Please don't make me do Jewish things. I'm all about the Christmukkah, and all the presents, and Bubbie and Zeyde coming over and making knishes and whatever. But I gotta draw the line somewhere."

"Well draw it before a different holiday," Rachel replies firmly. "Yom Kipper is the holiest day of the year. The day when we're closest to God. To our own _souls_! A day when you can be forgiven of your sins!"

Georgia makes a face again, as Rachel holds her shoulders, shaking her gently.

"I'm gonna commit another one if you don't release me from your death grip, you creep," Georgia replies.

Rachel lets go and laughs.

"Either way, just gimme an hour," Rachel says. "Two at the most."

"Fine," Georgia reluctantly agrees. "Then you have to come with _me _to Source on Saturday."

"Aw, that sporting goods place? That place smells like leather and dirt."

"I know," Georgia smiles longingly. "It's amazing."

Rachel has to laugh at her sister. They sling their bags back over their shoulders.

"Alright, let's go find our third," Rachel sighs. "And get these horrifying appointments outta the way."

* * *

"But like, what's she gonna _do_?" Georgia asks again, making a face.

The three sisters hop off the bus and head towards the practice where basically their entire extended family works.

"A pap smear," Rachel replies.

"Gross," Georgia makes a face. "I don't even like that word."

"She's not going to do a pap smear," Caroline rolls her eyes. "It's just a physical exam. Same as always, except now that we're all…women, we have to go see Addison, too."

Georgia chews her lip uncomfortably as they near the practice.

"Either way, I'm not exactly looking forward to this," Rachel mumbles.

* * *

"Hey, my favourite trio!" Jake smiles widely, as the sisters exit the elevator.

He stops short, seeing Rachel's dark hair.

"Whoa! Look at you, Rach!" he stares.

"Do you like it?" Rachel grins, turning her head slightly.

"It would be impossible for any of you to look anything but beautiful," he replies with a smile.

Jake envelopes the three of them in a hug, squeezing them together.

"Heeyy, triplet sandwich!" they hear Amelia cry, and a moment later she's on the other side of them, hugging them too.

"How's it going?" Amelia asks, as the girls are released. Then she really sees them and stops, her eyes widening like Jake's.

"Oh. My god," Amelia says, staring.

"Rachel's embracing her Jewish-ness," Georgia says, pulling Amelia and following Jake towards the kitchen.

"What..." Amelia begins, still taking in the huge difference to Rachel's appearance. "Did your mother say?"

"Ugh," Rachel rolls her eyes. "She freaked out. But she'll learn to love it."

"That's optimistic," Caroline says as Jake holds open the door to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Violet, Pete, and Sam greet the girls warmly as they arrive, stopping in stunned silence before commenting on Rachel's hair.

Georgia makes her way to the fridge and digs out a Redbull.

"Nice try, Georgie," Violet says, swiping the Redbull before Georgia can even get a sip down.

"Aw, come on!" Georgia protests. "Let me make my own mistakes, Vi!"

"Not on my watch," Violet replies, pouring out the drink. "And not a Redbull-based mistake."

Georgia exhales, letting her lips flutter together in exasperation. She hops onto a stool at the island and digs into the bowl of almonds.

Charlotte walks in, smiling at her daughters.

"Hi girls," she says, and then sees Violet pouring out the Redbull.

"Georgia Marie, when are you going to learn?" she asks, turning to stare at her daughter with wide eyes.

"To not be curious? Um, never?" Georgia replies.

"Watch it," Charlotte warns, and then turns her attention to Rachel and Caroline as well. "How was your day?"

The girls reply, saying 'good' and 'fine.'

"So Char," Sam grins. "How are you liking your brunette child?"

Charlotte rolls her eyes. "I still haven't decided what to do with this one," she glances at Rachel. "I think we'll let Cooper put his two cents in."

"He hasn't seen it?" Violet says.

"Nope," Charlotte shakes her head once.

Violet lets out a bit of a chuckle. "I wanna be here when that happens," she says to Pete.

"Alright, girls. Math tests?" Charlotte says, holding out a hand. "Let's see 'em."

Caroline and Georgia dig their tests out without a second thought, handing the A-marked exams to their mother. Rachel is slower.

"My little geniuses," Charlotte grins, seeing the tests. "Rach? Where's yours?"

Rachel exhales loudly, handing over her test. Charlotte sees the mark and looks up, her surprise obvious. Rachel doesn't need to be told to follow her mother from the kitchen.

They enter Charlotte's office.

"Explain to me why you got a B minus on a test of things you already know," Charlotte asks calmly, but Rachel can see that she's mad.

"I don't know," Rachel shrugs, chewing her lip.

"You don't know?" Charlotte repeats.

"Yeah, I don't know," Rachel says again, throwing her hands up and letting them fall. "I just…forgot."

"Forgot, or didn't study?"

Rachel keeps her mouth shut. She's a terrible liar, and her mother knows it.

"Rachel, what do we have to do to get you to study? To _care _about school?"

"I do care," Rachel replies.

Charlotte tilts her head.

"Just because I'm not a brainiac like Carri, or smart-without-studying like Georgia, doesn't mean I don't care."

"We both know your brains aren't in question here," Charlotte replies. "You're just as intelligent as your sisters, you just don't seem to care about anything academic."

Rachel exhales quietly, avoiding her mother's stare.

"Well. What's it going to be?" Rachel asks.

Charlotte looks at her, but sees that she's not being smart.

"I'll talk to your daddy," Charlotte replies. "After you show him this."

Rachel eyes the test and then reaches out to take it.

"Hey," Charlotte says, catching Rachel's hand. "I don't want to see this again."

"I know," Rachel mumbles.

Her mother doesn't release her hand so Rachel looks up at her again.

"And I love you."

Rachel manages a small smile before her mother kisses her forehead and gentle pushes her towards the door.

Rachel starts towards her father's office; Charlotte trailing behind her.

She glances in the blinds and sees her father at his desk.

She hesitates, turning to face her mother.

"Go on," Charlotte replies.

With a sigh, Rachel grips the doorknob and heads inside.

Cooper barely looks up.

"Sorry, you have to check in with the receptionist," she says, hurriedly writing.

"Uh, since when?" Rachel frowns.

Cooper's head shoots back up and he stares at who he now realizes is his daughter. His eyes fix on her and he stares in shock.

"Oh my god," he mumbles.

Charlotte stands behind their daughter, arms crossed.

"Surprise," Rachel says, holding up her hands haphazardly.

"Rachel," Cooper stares, getting up from his desk. "What did you _do_? Your beautiful blonde hair..."

"Is now a beautiful brown," Rachel finishes. "Just like yours."

"Rach," her father says, tilting his head at her before going back to staring at her hair. "Honey, what were you thinking?"

Rachel exhales, folding her arms.

"That I wanted to change my hair colour," she replies, annoyed.

"But," Cooper stumbles, looking to his wife for help. "Is it permanent?"

"Oh it's permanent," Charlotte nods. "She got it done at a salon."

"Oh god," Cooper's hand goes to his forehead. "Why did you... When were... Rachel."

"What?" Rachel holds up her palms. "It's just my hair. I didn't shave my head or get a tattoo, or pierce my face."

"Nor will you," Cooper says sternly, pointing at her.

"Obviously, daddy," Rachel replies.

Cooper stands there staring for another moment.

"Well, I..." he begins, but shakes his head.

He looks to his wife for help.

"Based on what she's got in her hands there," Charlotte puts in. "I think we've got her covered."

Cooper closes his eyes and turns his gaze back to his daughter as she sheepishly holds up the math test.

His response is a loud exhale.

* * *

The girls each go separately in to see their father and then their aunt, Addison Montgomery.

"Hey, superstar," Addison says when Georgia wanders in to the room. "How's it going?"

"Good," Georgia smiles, more calm than usual.

Georgia is the last triplet to see Addison. Rachel and Caroline are back in the kitchen, hanging out with everyone else.

Addison eyes Georgia carefully.

"You okay? You're never this quiet unless you're up to something, or upset."

Georgia manages a slight eye roll, but Addison can see that she's not herself.

"Alright," she says, putting down Georgia's file and crossing her arms in front of her. "Spill."

Georgia chews her lip; it's a nervous habit that each triplet does, absent-mindedly.

"I think…something's wrong with me," Georgia manages in a quiet voice.

Addison frowns, picking up the chart again to see Cooper's notes.

"Your dad said everything looked great," Addison says. "Perfectly healthy, albeit somewhat mischievous, King-Freedman."

"It's not…he wouldn't know," Georgia says. "I mean, maybe he does. I don't know."

Addison frowns again, confused.

"Okay, honey, I'm gonna need you to help me out. What's going on?"

"Something's wrong with me. With my body," Georgia says, looking uncomfortable and upset. "Rachel and Carri already got their…y'know. Periods."

"And you haven't?" Addison asks gently.

Georgia flushes slightly red - an uncommon sight - and nods.

"Honey, that's okay," Addison reassures her. "That doesn't mean there's something wrong with you."

"But I'm the oldest," Georgia replies stubbornly. "And we're _sisters_."

"That doesn't always come into play, sweetie," Addison says, rubbing Georgia's arm softly. "Every woman is different. And don't forget, you may be the oldest, but that wasn't a planned thing. You were out first, but you're also smaller than Rachel or Caroline."

Georgia looks down at her body, as though gauging this.

"Barely," she replies. "Like, half a jean size and half an inch of height."

Addison smiles understandingly.

"Honey, there's nothing wrong with you," she says. "How about we do the exam and then we can talk about all of this."

Georgia exhales, still upset, but grudgingly nods.

After the exam, Addison asks if Georgia wants her mother there, and then discreetly gets Charlotte to join them.

"Is everything okay?" she demands, worry blanketing her face as she sees Georgia sitting on the table in the exam room.

"Healthy as a horse," Addison replies, closing the door.

Charlotte goes right over to Georgia and starts to rub her back, giving one of her hands a squeeze.

"What is it, baby?" she asks.

Georgia glances at Addison nervously, and starts to chew her lip. Addison knows she's not going to talk, and so does Charlotte, as she turns to look at her.

"Georgie's a little concerned that she hasn't started her period yet," Addison explains.

"Well that's okay, sugar," Charlotte assures her. "The first year is always kind of irregular."

Georgia glances at Addison and sees her confusion.

"Um, no," Addison murmurs, slowly realizing. "Charlotte, Georgia hasn't gotten her period yet. At all."

Confused, Charlotte frowns at Georgia.

"What?"

Georgia exhales and crosses her arms, forcing Charlotte to let go of her hand.

"I just said that I did, because Rachel and Caroline got theirs."

Charlotte and Addison exchange glances.

"Honey, there's nothing wrong with not getting yours at the same time," Charlotte ventures gently.

Georgia tilts her head, giving her mother such a Charlotte Look that it makes her mother blink. "Same time? They literally got theirs a week apart. And that was four months ago."

"Georgia," Charlotte says, undoing her daughter's crossed arms and taking both of her hands. "Listen to me, sugar. There's nothing wrong with you. Physically or otherwise. Your body is your body, not Rachel's, and not Carri's."

"You can't stress about it, babe," Addison puts in. "Just let your body do it's thing. And besides, once you _do _get your period, you'll hate it."

Charlotte makes a face and nods.

"That's true," she agrees. "You will hate it."

Georgia just exhales stubbornly and starts to cross her arms again, but Charlotte stops her, pulling her daughter towards her for a hug.

"Don't you worry, my little Georgia Peach," Charlotte says, wrapping her daughter in her arms. "You're just fine."


	3. Chapter 3

The girls are scattered at the kitchen table doing their homework while Charlotte and Cooper make dinner.

Georgia checks to see if their parents are watching and then turns back to her sisters. She nudges Rachel under the table.

Rachel looks up, frowning at her.

'What?' she mouths.

Georgia's response is a dramatic eye and head gesture towards their parents, with her brow raising meaningfully.

Rachel gives her a doubtful look and then looks to Caroline, who shrugs slightly as she gives Rachel an encouraging smile.

Rachel takes a breath and then opens her mouth.

"Um, Mom? Daddy?" she ventures.

"Mmhmm?" Charlotte hums, frying chicken.

"So, we have that sleepover tomorrow night, at Josslyn's..."

She doesn't see her parents exchange looks.

"We know," Charlotte replies, not giving in to the suggestive comment.

"Well," Rachel's eyes dart to her sisters for a second. "Can I still go?"

This time she sees her parents look at each other.

"Do you think you should be allowed to go?" Charlotte asks, wiping off her hands and coming to stand near the table.

Rachel thinks for a second. "Yes."

"How come?" Charlotte asks.

Cooper stands behind her, leaning against the island.

'Well," Rachel begins, taking a breath. "I can see why me dyeing my hair would be a _shock _for you guys, but I wasn't actually breaking any rules. You guys have never said anything about not dyeing our hair, so…"

Cooper frowns, realizing this, but Charlotte is better at hiding her emotions. She remains straight-faced; a talent that attributes to her staff being afraid of her.

"And the math test," Rachel goes on, gaining her natural confidence back. "I _am _sorry. Really. I felt like such a moron when I got it back-"

"You are _not _a moron," Cooper puts in, looking at Rachel meaningfully.

She kind of shrugs it off. "I just mean I felt really bad. Ask Georgia! And...it won't happen again. I promise."

"You're darn right it won't happen again," Charlotte says sternly. "Regardless of how you feel about school sometimes, you've maintained straight As since kindergarten. Your daddy and I won't tolerate that changin'. School comes first. You hear me?"

Rachel exhales quietly and then nods, looking down at her fingers, feeling a little ashamed.

"And I think an extra half hour of math every night, until your next test when we see that you've picked things back up, is a good idea," Cooper adds.

Rachel's eyes start to close; she hates math. But her father is waiting for her reply with his brow raised, and her mother is still maintaining her Charlotte King face.

"Okay," Rachel nods, agreeing.

"And the next time you - any of you - think about dyein' your hair, or gettin' a tattoo or puttin' a hole somewhere, don't," Charlotte says, giving her girls a stern look.

"Don't look at me, I love this righteous blonde moss," Georgia says, looking at her mother incredulously, gesturing to her hair. "And I'm not getting a tattoo until I'm at least 23. That way my brain has formed almost completely, and I'll be more likely to make a good decision."

Her parents can't help but chuckle at her, and Caroline is looking at her with slight amusement, shaking her head. Her father reaches out to wrap her in his arms.

"Oh, Georgie," he chuckles, hugging her.

Charlotte runs a hand over Rachel's silky now-dark hair and takes her daughter's chin in her hand.

"We understand each other?" she asks, brow raised.

"Yes, Mama," Rachel replies, a bit sheepish but clearly also glad to be attending her friend's sleepover.

Charlotte smiles. She can't help but love when they call her 'mama' instead of 'mom.'

She'd loved their adorable Southern accents, but they slowly faded after the girls started school. Hearing them call her 'mama' gives her a warm nostalgic feeling; like she's given her daughters a tiny piece of her Southern childhood. They can still mimic the accent perfectly, and do it sometimes to tease their mother.

Charlotte kisses Rachel's forehead and then goes back to cooking dinner.

* * *

After dinner, Rachel gathers the family in the living room.

"Okay, so as we all know, Yom Kippur starts tonight," she begins.

"Are we actually doing the whole…thing?" Georgia asks, gesturing with her hands. "Because technically, we're supposed to fast for this. And I'm not up for that."

"Me neither," Cooper puts in. "Don't put me down for fasting."

Rachel rolls her eyes.

"The fasting would start like an hour before sundown, but I think our Christianity takes over in this department. I don't fast."

"Obviously," Charlotte says. "Any of you go an hour without some kind of food and you act like you're about to go and die on me."

"Hangry, I think it's called," Caroline nods slowly.

"Anyway," Rachel interrupts. "We're not doing the fasting or the no showering and stuff. But we _are _going to repent our sins and seek atonement."

Georgia and Caroline make faces, and even Cooper, the Jewish patriarch, looks skeptical.

"Guys!" Rachel cries, seeing them. "This is a big deal! It's important that we honour our Jewish heritage!"

"We do!" Georgia replies. She starts to tick things off with her fingers. "We always celebrate Hanukkah, we donate to charity ever year on Yom Kippur _and _randomly, and I've read Anne Frank's diary like, four times."

"Six," Caroline puts in, raising her hand slightly.

"That's great," Rachel says. "And all I'm asking of you tonight is an hour, maybe two, of your time, so we can focus on our Jewishness and honour our ancestors. And, y'know, God."

"I don't like that word," Caroline scrunches up her nose. "Jewishness."

"Well it is a word. I checked," Rachel replies. "In _your _dictionary."

"Alright, baby, what do you need us to do?" Charlotte says, bringing everyone back to attention.

Rachel grins, the earlier negativity of the math test and her hair forgotten as she opens her book and begins.

* * *

Though the girls each have their own room, they frequently have sleepovers where they all pile into one of their beds.

The rooms are decorated to reflect each triplet. The only similarity are the letters on their walls, spelling out their names. They've kept these since they were babies.

Rachel's room is filled with purple. Purple walls, a deep purple comforter on her bed, purple curtains. It's not the tidiest room, but she knows where everything is. Her desk is covered in just as many art books and magazines as there are textbooks at the moment. The cork board above her desk is covered in photos, and her clothes show a funky, more bold style, with coloured leggings, boots, bright shirts, and knitted slouchy hats.

Georgia shares Rachel's love for purple, but only one wall of hers is purple. Another is cerulean blue, another is deep green, and the fourth is bright orange. Her bed is a mixture of these colours, with her multicoloured comforter. Her room is always the messiest, and she can be a bit of a scatterbrain about where things are, but her desk and school things are organized meticulously. Around her room is sports equipment and team jerseys, for tennis, soccer, and paintball. She, too, has a cork board covered in photos. She owns fewer dresses and skirts than both of her sisters combined, opting for more laid-back clothes, like jeans and Vans shoes and t-shirts. Her long blonde hair, a few inches shorter than Caroline's, is usually tied up in a messy French braid or knotted bun.

Caroline's room showcases her favourite colour: a bluish teal. The walls are painted this bright colour and her bedding matches. It's the cleanest room: the bed is always made and no clothes are strewn about. Caroline keeps everything organized; even her closet is organized by colour. As much as she loves school, she also loves fashion and music. Her clothes are fashionable and she always looks put-together. Even her cork board of photos and memorabilia is more straightened and tidy, rather than just tossed on haphazardly.

All three girls play the piano, and Caroline taught herself guitar as well, so a love of music is a shared love, though Caroline has taken it more seriously.

Tonight, they pile into Georgia's bed, gossiping and looking through magazines after their Yom Kippur celebration.

"Emily was telling me that James Teller's parents are getting divorced," Georgia says, painting her toenails an electric blue. "Like, messy divorce. His mom changed the locks and everything so his dad can't even get inside."

"Jeez," Caroline makes a face, flipping through an issue of _Vogue_. "What's the point? Seems like it would take a lot of energy to be that angry."

"That's just because your temper goes about as high as lukewarm bathwater," Rachel replies, twisting elaborate braids into Caroline's long hair.

"That doesn't mean I don't get mad," she defends. "I just don't freak out."

"Yeah, for two sisters that share a _lot _of genetic material, you guys are like night and day," Georgia says.

"Stop," Caroline elbows her gently. "I hate when you do that."

"What?" Georgia asks, knowing.

"Act like we're twins and you're just a sister," Caroline says, turning her head to focus her blue-green eyes on Georgia. "It's not like that."

"We all look the same," Rachel adds. "It's not like anyone even knows that. Not unless you bring it up."

Georgia exhales, finishing her toenails and tossing the jar of polish away. "I know," she sighs. "Sorry. I just mean, sometimes I feel like…I dunno."

Rachel releases the braid she's working on and both she and Caroline turn to face their sister.

"What?" Rachel asks, frowning.

"You've been hiding something for awhile now," Caroline glares in concentration. "I've tried but I can't figure it out. So tell us."

"Yeah," Rachel demands. "We don't keep things from each other. Ever."

Georgia glances up, but quickly averts her eyes back to her toenails. She got polish all over the skin around her nails. She always does, but it washes off in the shower.

She can feel Rachel and Caroline staring at her, but her chest feels shaky. She takes another breath and then opens her mouth.

"I didn't…get my period," she finally says.

As expected, the girls look confused.

"Like, this month?" Rachel asks.

"She means ever," Caroline says quietly, studying Georgia.

This causes Rachel's head to snap back to face Georgia too.

"What?"

Georgia, ashamed, feels her cheeks turn a little red.

"Yeah. Ever."

"But…" Rachel stammers, putting it all together. "Why? Why wouldn't you tell us?"

"I don't know," Georgia shrugs, moving backwards to lean against the wall. "You guys both got yours and I just felt like…it feels like _I'm _the one who doesn't fit, not you, Rach. I'm like, the black sheep. The freak."

"You are not," Rachel and Caroline state in unison.

Caroline gets off the floor and both she and Rachel move to sit on either side of Georgia.

"If anyone's different, it's me," Caroline says. "I'm the huge nerd, always reading, and I never wear cool stuff like you guys do. I never wear bright colours and stuff."

"What? You always look good!" Georgia stares, surprised. "You're so put-together and organized. I'm a mess."

"Yeah right, _I'm _the mess," Rachel says. "I'm the bonehead who got a B minus _and _dyed my hair secretly _and _is always almost late, to the point of never having enough time to actually get ready for school. Or anything. I always look like a disaster."

"Are we actually arguing about which one of us is the outsider?" Georgia makes a face, realizing how silly this is.

Caroline and Rachel start to laugh, and then all three of them are giggling.

In their bedroom, Charlotte and Cooper look at each other. Georgia's room is right beside theirs, and they heard everything the girls have said. They smile at each other, so proud of their girls.

"Let's just agree that we're all a little weird," Rachel says. "But it works. It's a kind of weird that makes it so we still all fit together."

"Agreed," Caroline nods.

"Yeah," Georgia sighs. "You're right. I guess the whole 'becoming a woman' thing just made me…confused."

"George, you're gonna get yours and be so disgusted," Rachel makes a face.

"Seriously," Caroline nods. "Really, you're the lucky one. You don't have to deal with it. But when you do, we'll already know what to do. How to help you out, y'know?"

Georgia kind of shrugs and then smiles, grateful to have her sisters.

"I love you guys," she grins, looking at them.

They all pile onto each other into a hug, and across the hall their parents smile at each other.

"Oh crap, my nails," Georgia suddenly cries, wriggling until she's free. "Aw, they're all smudged now."

"Better do them over," Rachel says, reaching over and pressing her thumb into Georgia's big-toe nail and making an obvious thumbprint.

"Rachel!" Georgia cries, shoving Rachel's hand away angrily. "That one wasn't even ruined!"

"Sorry," Rachel snickers, moving to pick up a magazine.

Annoyed, Georgia reaches over and gently shoves at her, but, perched on the edge of the bed, Rachel loses her balance and falls to the ground.

"Ow!" she cries, looking up at Georgia angrily.

"Mom!" both sisters yell out.

In the bedroom, Cooper's chin falls to his chest and Charlotte exhales tiredly.

"Well, it was a beautiful moment while it lasted," she says, getting up to go to the girls.

"All five seconds of it," Cooper sighs.


	4. Chapter 4

"Mom, I don't feel good," Georgia mumbles, walking into the kitchen.

She's drowning in one of Cooper's old college hoodies, but the girls love wearing his big sweaters when they're sick.

Charlotte frowns, coming to rest a cool palm on Georgia's forehead.

"You're a little warm," Charlotte murmurs, looking closely at her daughter. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I just feel achey. I'm tired and my stomach hurts."

Concerned, Charlotte touches her cheeks and gets Georgia to open her mouth so she can see her throat.

"Nothing looks out of sorts," she says. "Why don't you take it easy today? Go lie on the couch."

"But I need new soccer stuff," Georgia complains.

Charlotte knows Georgia only whines when she's not feeling well.

"Well Rachel and Caroline will be with me," Charlotte replies, steering Georgia to the couch. "They can try stuff on and make sure it all fits for you."

"Get Caroline to do it," Georgia mumbles. "She knows how it's supposed to fit. Rachel doesn't have a clue."

Charlotte chuckles quietly, setting her daughter up on the couch with a blanket and pillow.

"What's going on?" Cooper asks, walking in to the living room. "We got a Freedman down?"

"Afraid so," Charlotte answers. "She's a little warm."

Cooper comes to feel his daughter's forehead, frowning.

"Daddy, will you rub my back?" Georgia asks tiredly, clearly uncomfortable.

"Sure, baby," he replies gently, sitting down so she can rest her head in his lap.

"You need anything, sugar?" Charlotte asks, bending down in front of her.

Georgia shakes her head, already closing her eyes as Cooper rubs her back.

Charlotte kisses her forehead and then gives her husband a kiss before shepherding her two other daughters out to the car.

* * *

Georgia sleeps for about an hour, curled up with her father. When she wakes up, she feels worse.

Concerned, Cooper checks her vitals and feels her neck to see if her glands are swollen. Sometimes it's almost worse when none of these things give him answers. It makes him worry that it's something awful.

Georgia gets up to go to the bathroom and after awhile, Cooper gets worried. He gets up to check on her when he hears his daughter's scared cry.

"Daddy!"

He rushes to the door to the bathroom.

"Georgia? What's wrong?" he demands.

"I…I don't know," comes her little voice.

She sounds near tears.

"What do you mean? Are you okay?"

"I…I think I'm…" Georgia stammers, scared.

"Honey, let me in," Cooper says gently.

"No!" Georgia cries, surprising him with the burst of refusal.

"Baby, I need to make sure you're okay," Cooper explains.

"I…I think I just got my period," Georgia says after a long moment.

Her voice is tiny and Cooper feels the same stab in his chest that he felt when Charlotte told him about Caroline and Rachel getting theirs. Like his babies are gone, replaced by little women.

He closes his eyes for a moment. As a paediatrician, he's never had a problem talking to kids. It's just so much harder when it's his own - something he never expected.

"Okay, honey, just relax," he says calmly. "Everything's okay."

"I don't…what do I do?"

He and Charlotte have had conversations with the girls about these sorts of things, but put in the situation, he can understand why his little girl would be terrified and panicked.

"It's okay, baby, just calm down," he says in a soothing voice. "Look under the sink. Mom keeps all of that stuff there."

He hears her moving around, opening the cupboard.

He waits several long minutes and then hears the faucet turn on. Another moment later and the door slowly opens.

He could almost cry, seeing his tiny Georgia, pale and scared, her blue-green eyes huge and bright. He hates that she seems a little uncomfortable. He can understand why she might, being a teenage girl, but it's his baby. He never wants any of his girls to feel anything but happy, even if it is a ridiculous expectation.

So he just holds his arms out and Georgia steps forward and wraps her arms around his neck. He's relieved that she's not sick - that she's not ill with some unknown sickness. Her slight fever makes sense now.

As soon as she's in his arms, he gently picks her up and carries her back to the couch.

"How about some hot chocolate?" he asks, getting her wrapped up in the blanket.

She nods, looking so tiny.

A few minutes later, he's back on the couch with her. She sips at the hot chocolate, takes the Advil he offers, and then puts the mug aside, curling back up on her father's lap and falling asleep.

Cooper picks up his phone and texts Charlotte.

When Charlotte and the girls get home, they come right to the living room to see Georgia. He sees the same feeling he felt, written all over his wife's face. Their little girls are growing up. Fast.

Though Charlotte is just a little taller than the girls, she still pulls Georgia into her lap. With Rachel and Caroline on either side of them, they settle in together. Cooper smiles, seeing them, and they snuggle under the blankets for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

"I'm gonna walk over to Josslyn's," Rachel announces later that night. "Just to let her know."

"Let her know what?" Georgia asks, surprised.

"That we won't be sleeping over, bonehead," Rachel replies, making a face at her sister.

"You two don't want to go?" Cooper asks.

"No," Caroline and Rachel reply in unison.

They've all been wrapped up together on the couch all afternoon, watching movies. When Rachel gets up, no one else makes a move to follow.

"Can we just order pizza and watch _Pitch Perfect_?" Caroline asks.

Cooper grins.

"I think that can be arranged," he replies as his wife smiles at him, gently stroking Georgia's hair.

Rachel pulls on her jacket.

"I'll be back in 15 minutes," she says. "Don't start it without me!"

She walks quickly to Josslyn's, which is only a couple blocks over.

"Hey!" Josslyn smiles, seeing her when she opens the door.

She stops, seeing Rachel alone and without a bag.

"Where's your stuff? And your sisters?"

"I figured I'd just walk over instead of call," Rachel shrugs. "We're not gonna be able to come."

"What?" Josslyn asks shortly.

"Georgia's sick," Rachel says. "Carri and I are just gonna stay with her tonight."

Josslyn looks at her, unimpressed. "Sick with what?"

Rachel frowns slightly. "With not feeling well," she replies.

She hates when Josslyn gets like this.

"So, you're just gonna ditch me?"

"Um, no," Rachel replies. "I'm just letting you know that my sister's sick so I'm staying home to take care of her."

"What, are your parents gone?"

Rachel frowns, looking at her best friend.

"Well, I mean, they're doctors. I'm pretty sure they can take care of her."

"She's my sister, Joss," Rachel says.

"Yeah, and I'm your best friend. Or supposed to be."

"You are."

"Really? Doesn't seem like it."

Rachel makes a face, not liking where the conversation has gone.

"What are you talking about?"

Joss exhales rudely, crossing her arms. "A best friend wouldn't just ditch like this."

"Okay, seriously, I'm not ditching," Rachel replies, getting annoyed. "I'm taking care of my sister. She needs me right now."

"Sure."

Rachel exhales. "Alright, well. I'll see you later."

She starts to turn to leave.

"So is this what you're always going to do? Choose your sisters over your best friend?"

Rachel frowns, wondering if this is a legitimate question. "Uh, yes."

The answer surprises Joss.

"They're my _sisters_," Rachel replies. "They'll always come first."

"Whatever, Rachel," Joss snaps, closing the door.

Rachel stands there for a second and then turns around, shaking her head slowly.

She hates that Joss is mad, but this isn't the first time she's gotten jealous of Rachel's sisters.

When she walks in the door at home, her mood is brightened when she hears the laughter coming from the living room.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asks, as soon as she comes around the corner.

"Nothing," Rachel shakes her head, coming to sit back on the couch.

"Liar," Caroline sings.

Rachel gives her a look. "Just Joss, being a meathead."

"Surprise, surprise," Caroline replies dryly.

"What happened, honey?" Cooper asks.

"Joss always gets jealous of me and Georgia," Caroline replies, looking at Rachel as if asking her to try and prove her wrong.

"Yep," Rachel sighs. "Apparently I 'always choose them' over her."

"They're your sisters," Charlotte replies.

"Yeah, and that's what I've told her. She just gets all mad and says I choose them over her, and she's 'supposed to be my best friend'."

"You didn't have to stay home," Georgia says quietly.

"I want to," Rachel replies, and waves her hand dismissively. "Besides, whenever she acts like this I hate being around her. She's ridiculous."

"So immature," Caroline shakes her head, reading through an issue of _National Geographic_.

"She's gonna be such a bit- Cow. To you, on Monday," Georgia says, eyeing her mother as she stumbles over the swear.

"Bring it," Rachel shrugs, as Charlotte eyes her daughter and then smiles, seeing Georgia's mischievous grin. "I can take her."

"You're 90 pounds, soaking wet," Cooper laughs.

"But feisty as all-get-out," Charlotte adds, touching her daughter's head.

The doorbell rings.

"Pizzaaaa!" Cooper growls, in unison with his daughters; a Freedman tradition.

Charlotte laughs as he jumps up to answer the door.

"You okay, sugar?" she asks quietly, placing her hand on Rachel's.

"It's fine," Rachel exhales, but Charlotte can see that she's bothered.

"You're an amazing sister," she says.

Rachel smiles for a moment.

"I just hate when she does this. I don't think I should feel bad for putting my sisters first."

"You shouldn't," Charlotte and Caroline answer together.

"Especially because of Josslyn Bitchface," Georgia adds.

"Georgia!" Charlotte scolds, but Georgia just grins mischievously.

"Tell me I'm wrong," she replies dryly.

"Not the point," Charlotte answers, tickling her ribs.

Georgia groans, jumping at the tickle, and then Cooper arrives with the pizza.

"I'll get plates," Carri says, getting up and tossing her magazine aside.

"I'll get drinks," Rachel says, jumping up.

"I'll stay riiiight here," Georgia replies.


	5. Chapter 5

"How you feelin', darlin'?" Charlotte asks Georgia as she makes her way downstairs on Sunday morning.

Georgia's response is a grumble.

As usual, Caroline is right behind Georgia, but they all know that Rachel will sleep until noon.

"Who wants breakfast?" Cooper asks, walking into the kitchen from his morning jog.

"Me!" Caroline calls out.

"Me," Georgia agrees, much quieter.

"Should we wake the Scary One, or wait until breakfast is ready?" Cooper asks Charlotte.

"Best leave her be," Charlotte replies, pouring boiling water into her favourite mug. "They were up late."

Cooper goes to take a quick shower before making breakfast.

The phone rings.

"Georgie, can you grab that? There's no phone in here," Charlotte calls from the kitchen.

She walks into the living room as Georgia lazily reaches for the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hmm, let me guess," comes a familiar voice. "George."

"You are literally the only person who can do that," Georgia replies, a genuine smile gracing her face.

"Is that Mason?" Caroline demands, her head jerking up excitedly.

Georgia nods, causing Caroline to race over and jump onto the couch, next in line to talk.

"What can I say," Mason replies. "I'm a world-class big brother."

"This is true," Georgia replies. "Except you didn't respond to my last text message."

"Sorry, G," Mason replies. "I'm up to my yarmulke in exams."

"Yeah right," Georgia giggles. "Like you ever wear a yarmulke."

"Yeah, you've got me there," he laughs. "So how are things over in paradise?"

"Wow. This coming from the guy who couldn't wait to blast off to the East Coast?" Georgia replies dryly.

"Well I don't have three crazy little sisters here," Mason answers. "Just endless frat boys and a worsening caffeine addiction."

"Yeah, you and daddy are alone on that one," Georgia says.

"You just wait until college," Mason replies. "You'll see. Coffee means life."

"Mm. Maybe," Georgia replies, uninterested. "Is the real reason you're so busy is because you've got a girrrlfriend?"

Mason laughs. "No. But when I do, you'll be the first person I don't tell."

"What?" Georgia cries. "Come on!"

"George, you're probably the worst secret-keeper I've ever met," Mason explains.

"Whatever," Georgia sighs. "Now I'm bored of you."

"Also the worst liar," Mason adds with a grin.

Georgia can't suppress a smile.

"Who's plastered beside you on the couch waiting to talk to their favourite big brother?" he asks.

"Why don't you tell me, o' holy seer?" Georgia answers.

"Alright," Mason replies, preparing himself. "Let's see... It's Sunday. It's...11:00 in LA. I'm gonna say Dad's making breakfast, or about to... Mama's nursing a mug of tea with a name that no one can pronounce... And Rachel's still dead to the world. So my little Care Bear is waiting to talk to me."

"You are such a freak," Georgia replies seriously.

Mason laughs. "It's a Freedman thing. We're creatures of habit."

Georgia finishes her conversation and then hands the phone off to her sister.

"Oh my god, Mase, I finished The Bell Jar," Caroline says, getting up off the couch and walking out to the back deck.

"How's our Ivy League boy doing?" Charlotte asks.

"Busy," Georgia sighs. "Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

"No one serious," Charlotte replies.

Georgia's head snaps to look at her mother. "What do you mean? Did he tell you?"

"No," Charlotte chuckles. "If he was seeing someone special, he'd tell us."

"I guess," Georgia replies quietly, going back to flipping channels.

"You'll see him in a month," Charlotte says gently, running her hand over Georgia's hair. "Thanksgiving."

"Yeah," Georgia replies.

Mason left for Brown when he was 18, and the girls were nine. They've gotten used to only seeing him during holidays, but they still miss him. After he finished his undergrad he went on to do his graduate studies in Computer Sciences, but he's still not sure where he'll settle down. He just knows it will be closer to his family than the East Coast.

Cooper arrives back downstairs, freshly showered and ready to make his famous waffles.

"Where's Carri?" he asks as he walks past the living room.

In the open-concept main floor the kitchen and living room are basically one enormous room, splitting off near the stairs into a laundry room, sunroom, and spare bedroom, used as an office.

"Talking to Mason," Georgia replies.

"He called?" Cooper asks, excited to hear it.

He moves towards the back patio doors, seeing Caroline jabbering away.

"Those two will talk for hours!" he complains.

"Give her another five," Charlotte says, tilting her head.

Cooper reluctantly agrees, going to the kitchen.

Caroline comes inside 10 minutes later.

"That was fast," Georgia teases.

"Hilarious," Caroline rolls her eyes. "I didn't want to hog the whole conversation. He has exams."

She holds the phone out and Cooper hurries over, beating Charlotte. He grins at his wife playfully, going back to cook and talk at the same time. He passes the phone off to Charlotte after a few minutes, and she gratefully takes the phone, badgering her son with questions.

Mason's biological mother died when he was nine, but he calls and considers Charlotte his "mama," and she loves him as if he were her own.

"Well, let me go rouse the beast," Charlotte says after their conversation.

Cooper is plating waffles and Mason needs to go study.

Charlotte carries the phone upstairs to Rachel's room.

"Rach," she says gently.

But Rachel sleeps like the dead. You literally have to shake her or yell at her.

"I'll put you on speaker," Charlotte grins into the phone.

She pushes the button and lies the phone next to Rachel's ear.

The next sound is a horrible loud, deep yell, as Mason yells her name.

She startles awake, looking confused.

"Mase?" she frowns at her mother.

"Mama, actually," Charlotte points at herself, teasing her daughter. "And waffles are downstairs."

Mason starts to sing loudly into the phone and Rachel finally realizes it's beside her head.

She grumpily picks it up as Charlotte leaves the room.

"She awake?" Cooper asks, finishing scrambling eggs as Caroline sets the table.

"As awake as she ever is before noon," Charlotte replies.


End file.
